Jimmy Graham's contract has been a non-story this summer. And that's a huge credit to Jimmy Graham.

The Saints' star tight end could have made a strong case for holding out of training camp and demanding a new contract. He's scheduled to make $1.323 million in the final year of his rookie deal, when his market value is probably closer to $10 million per year.

But Graham said that's just not his way -- which, ironically, is one of many things about him that makes him worth that kind of money.

"You know, it's to each his own," Graham said when asked about other NFL players who choose to hold out in similar situations. "I'm the type of player that it's just about football for me.

"You know, I just want to play, man. It's as simple as that."

Later, Graham added, "All I know is after the season we had last year, and now that we're back, I just want to be a part of it. So I'm gonna be here and I'm gonna play with everything I have no matter what."

Good for Graham, and good for his agent Jimmy Sexton, for not forcing the looming contract standoff to become a distraction this summer while the Saints are reveling in their return to normalcy.

Naturally, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Thursday night that he is "absolutely" pleased with how Graham has approached his contract situation so far.

In a perfect world, all these good vibes would continue with the Saints and Graham agreeing to a new megadeal long before the contract talks start to get contentious around next February or March, when a debate over the franchise tag could come into play.

But if we didn't know it already, we certainly learned with quarterback Drew Brees' deal last summer that no player is immune from a good old-fashioned contract standoff.

And Graham's deal could be even more complicated since his market value is harder to gauge as the best of a new breed of dynamic receiving tight ends.

Graham deserves to become the richest tight end in NFL history, surpassing the six-year, $54 million extension signed by the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski last year.

Gronkowski's deal isn't a perfect comparison. It arguably included a discount, since Gronkowski was just two years into his rookie deal when he signed it. And it also included an opportunity for the Patriots to opt out of the final four years (a realistic possibility because of his injury issues).

Regardless, that $9 million per year should represent a floor for Graham's value, especially since Graham has been more durable.

But how much more is Graham worth? Will a nice, round figure like six years, $60 million get it done?

Make no mistake, the Saints will eventually lock up Graham to a long-term contract that keeps him in New Orleans.

It's entirely realistic that Graham could back to the other-worldly level he reached in 2011 this year and for years to come. And the Saints won't let him get away.

But like the Brees situation, the Saints will also want to keep the price as reasonable as possible. And like with Brees, they will have the franchise tag at their disposal -- which could lead to a groundbreaking debate for the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

It's a debate that has been bubbling under the league's surface in recent years, though it hasn't come to a boil yet: Is it fair to label someone like Graham as a tight end, even though he lines up so often in the slot or out wide as a receiver?

In 2012, the franchise tag value for tight ends was $6.066 million, while the franchise tag value for receivers was $10.537 million.

Other tight ends in recent years, like Jared Cook of the Tennessee Titans and Jermichael Finley of the Green Bay Packers, threatened to challenge those position labels, but they never wound up being franchised. So the debate has never gone to an arbitrator yet.

Personally, I think it's fair to label Graham as a tight end and lump him in with guys like Gronkowski, Cook, Finley and the Atlanta Falcons' Tony Gonzalez, who are used in similar ways. And that franchise tag for tight ends will only continue to rise as their respective salaries rise.

At the same time, I think Graham should be the highest-paid out of all those guys. So the Saints shouldn't try to lowball Graham with that one-year franchise tag deal worth only $6 million or $7 million.

Sure, the Saints might use the franchise tag as a fair tactic to maintain their exclusive rights to Graham next year. But ultimately, both sides need to figure out a win-win long-term deal that keeps all these good vibes going.